Let's hope that his body will hold up so he can play out the last part of his career in the style that we're used to seeing from him. When he's up and running, you'd go to the footy to watch him every week. He's a standout player, and 16 marks for 4.6 on the weekend was a great reminder of what he's capable of. It's also a reminder that virtually nobody, no matter how great they are, can play if they're hampered by injury. The big fella also gives great quotes, like on Saturday after his 200th: "I certainly didn't want to play like a busted arse."
Boomer
Speaking of great players, how about Brent Harvey? We've lost some great players in recent times, but there's still no shortage. It's one of the brilliant parts of our game; to be Boomer's size and be able to be a star. I still remember when he won the EJ Whitten Medal in the State of Origin match against South Australia in 1999, when he kicked five or six goals, and I think that was a real turning point for him. I thought then, have a look at this little bloke, he's a little freak (in a good way, of course!) He's a champion, and has been consistently terrific over his 300 games.
Sticking with a theme…
Paul Roos and Brett Kirk's last game at the SCG … Kirky is one of the great AFL stories. I remember playing at the SCG against him in the early days, and thinking this guy is going to struggle. To be able to do what he's done with the limitations he's got - pretty much everything going against him - is just outstanding. What a great accolade to have, that the best things you've got going for you are your heart, your spirit, and the fact that you care so much about your side. He'll be respected as highly as anyone at the Swans for what he did in creating the 'Blood Brothers' culture at the club. Unbelievable legacy for a bloke who was on the Swans supplementary list and was cut from that before even playing a game.
Brad Scott
I'm on the outside here, looking in, but I have to say what an impressive young coach Brad Scott appears to be. He gives really clear messages, and the art of coaching is to get the best out of what you've got, which he's doing. I look at his young list, with players like Cunnington, Bastinac, Grima, Hansen, Adams, Ziebell, Anthony, Goldstein … they're terrific players who are really developing under Brad.
Coach in waiting
Matthew Primus has done really well to win four out his six games in charge since Choco left. It takes a bit of courage to take on the caretaker role - you put yourself out there, and you live or die by the results. And it's not something you can plan for - nobody expected Choco to leave and even then, people thought Dean Laidley would do the job. So to do it, and be able to galvanise a group that had been really, really struggling, has to be a massive tick. He's also able to make hard decisions - Chad Cornes desperately wanted to play in Kane's 200th, and Matty sent him back to the SANFL. You'd have to think he's a long way down the path to getting the job.
Magpie depth
I don't read anything bad into Collingwood's narrow win over Adelaide - good sides have the capability to win games they should. They've won the Dr. William C. McClelland Trophy for the first time since 1977, but more impressive than that is their depth. You look at the Dogs, with Cooney doing his hamstring, Johnson getting injured, and there's a few Geelong players in the same boat. But Collingwood has just got any number of ready-made replacements on every line and that's what's so exciting about them.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
